SACRED WEEDS
Salvia Divinorum
This ground-breaking series continues, revealing surprising secrets from
our past - that hallucinations brought on by the use of certain poisonous
plants could actually be responsible for ancient mythologies and
contemporary images. The plant Salvia Divinorum is used by the small
and remote Mazatec tribe in Central America and is thought to contain
the most powerful hallucinogen known to man - yet little is known about
it in the West. In an experiment never tried before, two volunteers take
a strictly controlled dose of it and describe the changes they feel, while
host DR ANDREW SHERRATT, together with other scientists and cultural
specialists, identify potential risks and discuss and analyse the
mind-altering effects the plant has and what this might mean to the
Mazatec tribe. Until twenty years ago, nothing at all was known about
Salvia Divinorum. It belongs to the same family as common garden mint -
yet its effects are very different. It is very rare and native only to a
small part of Mexico inhabited by the Mazatec Indians. They consider it
sacred and the plant plays an important part in their religion by inducing
visions of the Virgin Mary who is considered to be the patroness of this
plant. But the effects of Salvia have never been recorded scientifically.
In Sacred Weeds two carefully chosen volunteers - DANIEL who has
previously experienced the use of Salvia Divinorum, and SEAN who has
not - sample the plant under strict medical supervision (as it may have
unpleasant or dangerous side-effects). They do this twice - once by
smoking a controlled dose under laboratory conditions and later by
chewing the Salvia leaves. This time the setting for taking the Salvia is
more like that of the private ceremonies of the Mazatecs - outside in the
woods at night with a fire burning. How will their reactions differ? Will
the hallucinatory effects change with their surroundings and alternative
methods of ingesting the plant? Anthropologist Dr Andrew Sherratt is
joined by FRANCOISE FREEDMAN, also an anthropologist, who has studied
the use of Salvia in native American culture, TIM KENDALL a consultant
psychiatrist and Director for the Centre of Psychotherapeutic Studies
and pharmacologist JON ROBBINS. Before the experiment takes place both
volunteers are given a physical examination. Blood pressure and body
temperature are noted, both of which could be drastically altered by the
plant. To discover the effects on the brain Daniel is wired up to an EEG
machine, which registers brain activity, before and during the
experience of taking the plant. Both volunteers have quite immediate and
fascinating reactions to the Salvia and together with the specialists
they discuss what their reactions might mean.

hey guys, check out this site I just found: www.salviasociety.org I heard about it on Fox News last night. The guy who owns it was talking how he's trying to stop legislation in different states from banning the herb. I hope he succeeds, meanwhile they just banned it in my State (Minnesota)